I absolutely love the Oak Hills Turkey Trot, for so many reasons.
First of all, it’s a nonprofit event. The proceeds are all donated to a charity selected by the students at Oak Hills Elementary school. All the food collected is also donated, to the Beaverton Elks Food Pantry. But it’s also amazingly affordable … only $2 plus 2 cans of food per participant! Of course, you can always donate more.
Second of all, it’s got something for the whole family. There is a 5-mile run (with some lovely rolling hills), a 2-mile walk/run, and a 1/2-mile kids run. The 5-mile and 2-mile events pass each other, making it great fun because you can see your friends and family in the other event. Kids that are ready for a longer event but not quite up to a 5k yet can try their legs at the 2-mile, while those who prefer to stroll and chat can follow them. I walked it last year (or rather, I waddled it, being pregnant). And the 1/2-mile kids run takes place before both the longer distances so the parents and grandparents can watch and cheer!
And finally, it’s just a great course. Easily accessible from Highway 26 with ample street parking, the Oak Hills Elementary school sits in a friendly neighborhood with hills that are just big enough to break things up, with declines to keep you cruising. (Plus, five miles is my favorite race distance!)
Here are the details:
When: Thursday, November 26, 2015
What time: The kid’s race is first at 8:30. The 5-mile run starts at 9a and the 2-mile walk/run at 9:10a.
Where: Oak Hills Elementary School at 2625 NW 153rd Ave in Beaverton
Register: Day of Race only, starting at 7:30a. You can follow along with any announcements on the Oak Hills Turkey Trot facebook page here.
This is not a chip-timed race, but that hasn’t stopped speedy participants from coming in past years. Everyone who signs up is entered into a raffle, where you can win great prizes from community sponsors or even a pie.
When you arrive, head around to the back of the school to the covered play area with your donations. Trade them in for a bib and then you can just relax outside or head back to your car if you’d like. The organizers have done a great job in the past of ordering a good number of porta-potties; and if you are bringing any little ones, there is of course a playground.
The 5-miler race starts on the road to the side of the school (Norwich Ave.) and heads to Oak Hills Drive, joining up with Perimeter Drive to make the loop. Those in the longer race will do this loop twice, coming in from the opposite direction (on NW 153rd) to finish on a service road that leads back to the play area behind the school. A flagged finish chute, arch, and timing clock will make it obvious where to go!
After the 5-milers are off, the 2-mile participants will start to line up. The ten-minute gap allows for plenty of time for a last-minute bathroom break. The route for the 2-mile walk/run starts out going the same direction on Norwich but then turns the other way at NW Oak Hills Drive. This route doesn’t make a full loop, but instead follows Perimeter to NW 153rd and then back to the school.
I will be there, running the 5-miler; but I’m even more excited to see how my daughter does with the kids race. She’s only three and a half, so if the 1/2-mile gets too long for her, she’ll just run one loop of the playground path; but all kids get a ribbon which is sure to make her day!